Linear metal ceiling components

ABSTRACT

A linear metal ceiling system having improved carrier and pan geometries that afford improved versatility in pan widths and shapes, and improved pan retention force. Accessories for joining carriers together and for attaching perimeter trim strips are disclosed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to linear metal suspended ceiling systems.

PRIOR ART

Linear metal ceilings typically comprise spaced parallel carriers and elongated U-shaped pans attached to and extending transversely to the carriers. It is known to provide the carriers with integral grips uniformly spaced along their lower sides for engagement with longitudinal edges of the pans. The pans have been available in various widths although, sometimes, their free use has been limited by the geometry of the carrier grips. Frequently, prior linear ceiling systems have had limited resistance to seismic forces and/or wind loads.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a linear metal ceiling system that affords a wide choice in pan widths, either uniform or mixed, various pan profiles, and a strong inter-engagement between a carrier and the pans. As disclosed, the carrier has a relatively short center-to-center distance between grips so that narrow pans using adjacent grips and wide pans using spaced grips are readily accommodated.

Also, as disclosed, the grips and panels have unique profiles that when interconnected, afford a relatively high retention force, being far greater than that available with at least some prior arrangements. The grips, additionally, can accommodate a wide variety of panel edge profiles so that a large selection of pan shapes and sizes is practical.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, from above, of a linear metal ceiling system embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of a carrier;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged fragmentary view of a typical grip of the carrier;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the carrier;

FIG. 4 is an end view of one form of pan of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of a plurality of the pans of FIG. 4 installed on a carrier;

FIG. 6 is an end view of another form of a pan of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of a plurality of the pans of FIG. 6 installed on a common carrier;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a carrier splice plate of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the splice plate;

FIG. 10 is an end view of the splice plate;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a perimeter trim clip of the invention; and

FIG. 12 is a side view of the clip of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an end view of a carrier mounting portion of the clip of FIG. 11.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A linear metal ceiling system 10, shown in FIG. 1, as carriers 11 supporting U-shaped panels 12. The system 10 is typically suspended by wires 13 attached to the carriers 11 and to overhead superstructure (not shown). The carriers 11 are in spaced parallel relation, usually in a common horizontal plane, and the pans, in parallel relation, extend transversely to the carriers.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate features of the carriers 11. A carrier 11, which can be a roll formed sheet metal product, has an inverted U-shaped cross-section with sides 16 and a top or web 17. A carrier 11 can have a length of 10 feet, for example, a height of 1⅝ inch and a width of nominally 1 11/16 inch, for example. The carrier 11 can be made of 20 gauge aluminum 3003/3105 H14/H24 for exterior applications hot dipped galvanized (HDG) steel for interior applications.

An upper portion 18 of a side 16 is cantered outwardly, for example, at an angle of 118 degrees from the plane of the top 17. Lower vertical portions 19 of the sides 16 are punched or otherwise formed with grips located along the full length of the carrier 11 aligned side-to-side for attaching the pans 12. The grips 21, supported on a common base 22, are arranged in oppositely extending pairs or sets with a center-to-center distance from one pair to an adjacent pair being, for example, 2 inches.

Referencing FIG. 2A, a grip 21 is characterized by the presence of an associated overlying generally rectangular throat or notch 23. A notch 23 is bounded by an upper horizontal edge 24, an inner vertical edge 26, an inner horizontal lower edge 27 and an outer lower inclined edge 28, the latter two elements formed by the grip 21 itself.

The inclined grip edge 28 lies at an angle of between 30 degrees and 60 degrees and preferably is about 45 degrees from the horizontal so that the grip edge rises in a direction towards a distal end 29.

A lower edge 31 of a grip 21 is preferably beveled to facilitate reception of a pan and to provide clearance for some styles of pans.

Typically, pans are supplied in 10 foot lengths. Illustrated pans 12 can be roll formed of 22 gauge aluminum for exterior use and 24 gauge electrogalvanized steel for interior use.

FIG. 4 illustrates one style of pan 12 a. The pan 12 a has a bottom 33 with a lower face 34 and sides 36. The sides 36 in their free state are cantered inwardly. Along upper edges, the pan sides 36 have inturned lips or flanges 37. Preferably, each flange 37 lies at an acute angle of between 30 and 60 degrees and preferably about 45 degrees with its associated side 36. A pan 12 a is snapped onto oppositely extending grips 21. It will be understood from FIG. 1, that all of the carriers 11 are aligned with their grips 21 located along common lines transverse to the carriers thereby enabling a carrier to be snapped onto the grips of adjacent carriers 11.

The style of pan 12 a shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 can have a nominal width between 2 inches and 12 inches with the available widths being stepped in 2 inch increments and a nominal depth of ⅞ inch. Pans with a 4 inch width engage outlying grips 21 of two adjacent bases 22 and pans wider than 4 inches are free of attachment to bases intervening those basis to which a wider pan is attached. As shown in FIG. 5, the canted sides 36 enable the panels to butt with a closed joint at their lower faces 34.

The configuration of the inturned flange or hook 37 on the pan sides 36 and the upturned edges 28 on the grips 21, with their respective inclinations being complementary, i.e. in the same direction and within 20 degrees of each other has been discovered to produce an improved pan retention on a carrier 11. For example, the pans have been found to withstand loads, oriented to separate a pan 12 a from the pair of grips 21 on opposite sides 16 of the carrier, of about 180 pounds of force.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a lap-style pan 12 b. The pan cross-section is asymmetric with one side having an inturned inclined flange 37 of the same or substantially the same orientation as the previously described pan 12 a and on an opposite side 42 having an outwardly extending horizontal flange 43. The inturned flange 37 is proportioned to fit in a carrier notch 23 under the horizontal flange 43 of an adjacent pan. The notch 23 is proportioned to receive a relatively wide flange 43 without interference. A bottom 46 of the pan 12 b can have a nominal width of 1⅝ inch to 11⅝ inch stepped in 2 inch increments. The nominal depth of the sides of the pan 12 b can be, for example, ⅞ inch or, alternatively, 1½ inch.

The geometry of the grips 21 and associated notch 23 can accept a wide variety of panel shapes in addition to those shown in FIGS. 5 and 7. For example, the juncture of a panel bottom and its sides can be rounded, with a larger radius than that shown in FIGS. 4-7 beveled or asymmetrical.

Referencing FIGS. 8-10, there is shown a splice plate 51 for joining carriers 11 end-to-end or in perpendicular relation. The splice plate 51, preferably, is a sheet metal stamping of 18 gauge HDG steel or 18 gauge aluminum 3002/3105 temper H14-H24. The splice plate 51 has an inverted U-shape complementary to that of the upper portion 18 of the carrier 11 so that it fits as a saddle onto the top 17 of a carrier. The splice plate 51 has a center web 52 and depending sides 53 that diverge with the same angle as the upper portions 18 of the carrier 11, each side at an angle of, for example, 118 degrees from the center web. The center web 52 is longer than the sides 53 of the splice plate to thereby provide cantilever tabs 54. Edges 56 of the sides 53 at each end of the splice plate 51 lie on a common plane oriented at 118 degrees from the plane of the splice top or center web 52, i.e. at the same angle as the upper sides or upper portions 18 of the carrier from the carrier top web 17.

The splice plate sides 53 and top or center web 52 are stamped or otherwise formed with a plurality of holes 57 to receive self-drilling screws or other fasteners to attach the splice plates to the carriers 11 being joined by the splice plate. Larger holes 58 on the sides 53 are alignable with holes in the carriers 11 and can receive suspension wires 13 when aligned with suspension wire holes in a carrier. The splice plate can align and join the ends of two carriers 11 where a ceiling area dimension in the direction of the carriers is greater than the standard length of a carrier.

The splice plate 51 can also be used to join a carrier 11 intersecting another carrier at right angles. The splice plate 51 can be fixed to an end of the intersecting carrier 11, either being partially cantilevered or with the intersecting carrier being trimmed to match the geometry of the splice plate edges 56. The splice plate 51 is fixed to the intersected carrier by abutting the splice plate edges 56 against the adjacent side of the intersected carrier and positioning fasteners through holes 57 in the respective tab 54 into the top of the intersected carrier.

The splice plate 51 can also serve to locally reinforce a carrier 11 where a suspension wire 13 is attached by locating and attaching the splice plate with its holes 58 aligned with the holes in the carrier before a suspension wire is installed.

FIGS. 11-12 illustrate a perimeter trim clip 61 for attaching a trim channel 62, shown in FIG. 11, to a carrier 11. The trim channel 62 can be of a type known in the industry such as that marketed by USG Corporation under the registered mark COMPASSO®. The clip 61 has a carrier mounting section 63 stamped or otherwise formed of 22 gauge HDG steel, for example, and a trim channel supporting section 64. The mounting section 63 includes a half saddle portion 66 proportioned to fit over a carrier 11 flat against both the top 17 and a side upper portion 18. The saddle portion 66 has a horizontal seat 67 engageable with a carrier top 17 and a downwardly and outwardly extending leg 68 engageable with an upper portion 18 of a side 16 of the carrier 11. The leg 68 has a plurality of holes 69 and a slot 71 for receiving self-drilling screws or other fasteners driven through the side upper portions 18 of the carrier 11 to fix the clip 61 to the carrier.

The channel supporting section 64 has a vertical leg 76 with inturned flanges 77 at the top and bottom of the leg. The leg 76 is stiffened by a vertical flange 78 extending perpendicularly to a plane of a main part 79 of the leg 76. At a mid-height, the flange 78 merges with an extension 81. The extension 81 is separated from an upright plate 82 extending upwardly from the seat 67 of the saddle portion 66 by a vertical through slot 83 and small bendable lands 84 at opposite ends of the slot.

The channel or trim strip 62, typically, a roll formed sheet metal strip, has an elongated shell or pan configuration with a relatively wide web 87 and flanges 88 along each longitudinal edge of the web. The flanges have inturned hems 89 adapted to be snapped over and be retained by the flanges 77 of the clip leg 76.

FIGS. 11-12 show the clip 61 in an as-manufactured configuration which can be used without alteration for situations such as shown in FIG. 11 where the perimeter trim strip 62 is desired to be parallel to the pans 12 and perpendicular to the carriers 11. Alternatively, in situations where the trim strip 62 is to be mounted perpendicularly to the pans 12 and parallel to the carriers 11, the leg 76 must be re-oriented relative to the mounting section 63. The leg 76 can be re-oriented so that its plane is parallel to the plate 82 of the carrier mounting section 63 by bending the extension 81 about a hinge line formed by the relatively weak lands 84. The flange extension 81 is long enough to support the leg 76 to a side of a carrier 11 with adequate clearance. The flange extension 81 can be bent to the left or right so that a perimeter trim strip 62 can be disposed on either side of a carrier 11 on which the clip 61 is mounted.

It should be evident that this disclosure is by way of example and that various changes may be made by adding, modifying or eliminating details without departing from the fair scope of the teaching contained in this disclosure. The invention is therefore not limited to particular details of this disclosure except to the extent that the following claims are necessarily so limited. 

1. A linear metal ceiling system comprising a plurality of elongated carriers and a plurality of elongated sheet metal pans, each carrier having a multitude of grips uniformly spaced along a lower side, alternate grips extending in a longitudinal direction opposite of a longitudinal direction of intervening grips, each grip being cantilevered from a base such that a grip forms part of a boundary of a notch overlying the grip, each grip having an increasing height zone adjacent a distal end and a horizontal zone with a length extending inward of the increasing height zone, each pan having a bottom and two sides on opposite margins of the bottom, at least one of the pan sides having an inturned flange adjacent an upper edge of a side, the flanges having a decline in a direction towards a center of a width of the pan and terminating at an edge whereby when the pan is installed on a grip the edge rests on the horizontal zone, the flange and increasing height zone of a grip are adapted to mutually interfere when a force urging the flange off of the grip exists, and the notch is constructed and arranged to allow the edge to engage the horizontal zone at locations along the length of the horizontal zone.
 2. A linear metal ceiling system as set forth in claim 1, wherein angles, measured from a horizontal reference, of the increasing height zone of the grip and decline of the flange are substantially equal.
 3. A linear metal ceiling system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the carrier has an inverted U-shaped cross-section and at each longitudinal location of a grip there is a pair of transversely aligned laterally spaced grips.
 4. A linear metal ceiling system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the grips are arranged on 2 inch centers and are adapted to support pans having nominal widths ranging from 2 inches to 12 inches in 2 inch increments.
 5. A splice plate for a linear metal ceiling pan carrier with an inverted U-shaped cross-section characterized by a flat top and divergent flat side portions, the splice plate being formed of sheet metal with a top and divergent sides in a cross-section configuration that is complementary to the carriers such that the splice plate can simultaneously abut the top and side portions of two carriers to thereby align the two carriers, the splice plate having receiving holes in the top and sides for receiving fasteners used to join the splice plate to the carriers.
 6. A splice plate as set forth in claim 5, wherein the splice plate sides adjacent an end of the splice plate have edges lying in a common plane that has an inclination substantially the same as an inclination of the splice plate sides.
 7. A clip for attaching a channel-shaped trim strip to a pan carrier for a linear metal ceiling, the clip being formed of a unitary sheet metal body, the clip having a mounting section configured to seat on a top and abut the side of an inverted U-shaped carrier, a support section including a vertical leg and a horizontal extension, the leg extending below and above a level of the mounting section, a main part of the leg lying in a substantially vertical plane, the extension spacing the leg from the mounting section, the leg having upper and lower ends with short flanges extending in a direction that the extension extends to engage inturned hems on flanges of the trim strip, the extension being connected to the mounting section by a pair of vertically spaced lands separated by a slot in the body whereby the support section can be displaced relative to the mounting section about a vertical line represented by the lands when the body is bent at the lands.
 8. A clip as set forth in claim 7, wherein the mounting section has holes for receiving fasteners for allowing the clip to be fastened to a carrier. 